CONFERENCES
World Animal Intelligence Day City of Science and Industry, Paris — February 1, 2020
WHALE SONGS, LECTURE AND CONCERT BY PIERRE LAVAGNE DE CASTELLAN
Pierre Lavagne de Castellan, Research Director of the Shelltone Whale Project, presented his work on whale song and the questions that continue to fascinate researchers around the world: Why do whales sing? What are the leading scientific hypotheses? Is communication between humans and whales possible? And where does current research stand today? In the second part of the presentation, Pierre performed with the Shelltone, an instrument he developed in collaboration with the Central School of Nantes and Stanford University in California to explore communication with humpback whales. Accompanied by whale songs he personally recorded during decades of interspecies communication research, this unique performance recreated the musical dialogue that can emerge between humans and cetaceans, offering a rare glimpse into a relationship built through sound, listening, and exchange.
Co-organized with the support of the Cité des Sciences et de l'industrie.
Conferences Aboard the American University Vessel Ocean Star
Whenever the university vessel Ocean Star docks in Deshaies, the organization Seamester includes a presentation on the Shelltone Whale Project's research program as part of its educational activities. These conferences are delivered by Pierre Lavagne de Castellan to American marine biology students participating in the voyage.
AGREEMENT
Georeferenced Data Sharing Agreement Between the Shelltone Whale Project and the French Agency for Marine Protected Areas
Over the past several years, the Agoa Sanctuary has collected extensive data on cetaceans through offshore research campaigns, acoustic monitoring devices, and partnerships with environmental organizations and private groups. Stored and analyzed by the French Marine Protected Areas Agency, these data have helped improve our understanding of the feeding, resting, and socialization areas used by marine mammals, particularly along the leeward coast of Guadeloupe, where the Shelltone Whale Project operates.
The Agoa Sanctuary, located in the French West Indies, is dedicated to protecting marine mammals and their habitats from the impacts of human activities. Its mission is to reduce harmful interactions, limit pollution, raise public awareness, and promote a more harmonious relationship between humans and marine wildlife. As part of these efforts, the French Agency for Marine Protected Areas partnered with the Shelltone Whale Project to contribute its data and field expertise to a master's research program launched in January.
PUBLICATION
Animals are far more intelligent than we once believed. New discoveries continue to reveal the depth of their sensitivity, their emotional lives, their generosity, their capacity for cooperation, and, dare we say, their wisdom. Seven remarkable thinkers and researchers invite us into the fascinating world of animal intelligence. Through their work, you will discover the extraordinary role whale songs may play in enhancing plankton productivity, learn from bonobos that laughter is not uniquely human, and see how the behavior of fish schools can inspire new approaches to leadership and teamwork. You will also discover that ants developed forms of agriculture long before humans ever did. These examples, along with many others, challenge the idea of human supremacy over the animal world. They suggest something even more profound: that animals, through their extraordinary capacity for adaptation and survival, may hold valuable lessons for the future of humanity.
Rethinking Our Relationship with Animals — Our Future Depends on It.
THEY TALKED ABOUT US
HEATHER HARDING'S TESTIMONY
MARINE BIOLOGIST, MAUI, HAWAII
«Hello Pierre,
Your legacy lives on here in Maui. At the last Whaledreamer meeting I had the Shelltone you gave me and I told your story. People who hadn't heard of it were fascinated and inspired.
I don't know if you realize how inspiring this is for people.
The act of creating something, putting your heart, soul and passion into it without expecting anything in return, is in itself a powerful act.
The whales seem to encourage this kind of attitude on our part.
We may not know why we do what we do, but we can believe there's a reason. It's so important that we do things like this more and more, to help balance and heal this world that's sick with the acts perpetrated by people driven by greed and selfishness, in that your example is valuable.
I love the Shelltone you gave me. Thank you so much, I cherish it and with it I tell your story to all the people I meet on my whale watching trips, to the students in my classes and at Whaledreamers meetings.
I hope you know how much your project means to so many people.»
Heather Harding. Marine biologist. Maui - Hawaii - USA
